Cattle-guard.



PATENTED JUNE 2', 1908.

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M. R. WILHITE.

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MARSHALL RICHARD WILHITE, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed October 22, 1907. Serial No. 398,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL RICHARD WILHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in.

cattle guards, and has for its object the pro vision of a stock guardfor railways and the like which shall be of extremely simpleconstruction, light and inexpensive, and which shall be entirelypractical and efiicient in every particular.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a stock guard or gatewhich may readily be applied to the track without .making any changestherein.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists of arock shaft rotatably supported beneath the track way, a gate carrled bythe shaft, a platform supported in advance of the gate and adapted to bedepressed, and connections between said platform and the rock shaft forpartially rotating the shaft to raise the gate when the platform isdepressed.

My invention further consists of a cattle guard embodying certain othernovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partssubstantially as disclosed herein and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which t Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of atrack way showing my improved stock guard applied thereto, the gate orbarrier being in the normal lowered position. Fig. 2, is a like view ofthe same, showing the gate in the elevated position to form a bar- Fig.3, is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one ofthe ournal brackets for supporting the rock shaft which carries thebarrier.

In the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a rock shaft which is journaled in the depending'brackets 2, the brackets preferably eachhaving an outer inturned clamping lug 3, which overlaps the foot of therail and an inner upstanding lug i, in which is adjustably mounted theset screw 5, the said set screw making engagement with the inner side ofthe foot of the rail, to detachably and adjustably secure the journalbrackets thereto. In this way the depending journal brackets areadjustably atthe gate. posite end of the weight and is led over to'tached to the rail in the proper position,

but other means may be used as well as the set screw for attaching thejournal brackets in place. Secured upon the rock shaft between the railsare the socket members 6, in which are engaged the posts 7, of the gate,these posts being connected by thecross bars or slats 8. The gatesupporting or socket members may be secured to the rock shaft in anywell known manner, and they each have a depending lug 9, in which areengaged the plain end portions of the arched or bowed spring connectinglink 10. To the central portion of the spring link is connected by ashort chain 11, or other similar connecting means, a weight 12, which issomewhat less than the weight of A chain 13, is secured to'the opthe faredge of the adjacent tie and there fastened by means of a staple or likefastening. Smaller gate sections 1 1, may be secured upon the outer endsof the rock shaft by means of the socket members previously described. 7

A U-shaped lever 15, has its straight central portion 16, fulcrumed injournal brackets 17, to one of the ties in advance of the gate (usuallyabout the third tie in advance), and the side arms of the lever aresomewhat bowed as at 18, to pass up over the ties. These side portionsof the lever lie close alongside the rail so as to be protected thereby,and are each provided with a forward downwardly bent or dependingportion 19. Chains 20, or other connecting means are engaged in thedepending portions of the lever arms and pass up over the guide pulleysor rollers 21, on therock shaft, the chains having their ends fast tothe pulleys. Instead of the pulleys on the rock shaft, a segment orarocker arm could be used as well, and if found more convenient,-theside arms of the lever could be made independent of each other insteadof being in one continuous piece. Between the ties in advance of thegate, a platform is suspended from the side arms of the lever by meansof the links 22, the platform consisting preferably of the supportingbars 23, and the spaced cross slats 23.

In operation, when cattle or other stock attempt to pass along the trackway they are' bound to step upon the suspended platform and in so doing,the additlonal weight depresses the platform, and the levers throughtheir connection with the rock shaft cause a partial rotary movement ofsaid shaft, and

the gate carried by the shaft is raised to an upright position thusforming a complete barrier to further progress of the animal. As soon asthe additional weight is removed from the operating platform, the weightconnected to the gate section causes the gate to fall to its normalunobstructing position. When the gate is vertical, the balance weight issupported by the gate, but as the gate falls, the support of the balanceweight is transferred to the tie, so that the gate then falls easily ofits own weight. The gate structure is made as light as possible so thatif by any accident it should be struck by a passing train, it willsimply be torn from its sockets with practically no injury to either thetrain or the guard. WVhen stock are liable to approach from either sideof the gate, levers and supporting platforms suspended therefrom wouldbe placed on each side of the gate, and the ends of the levers would beconnected to the operating chains on the rock shaft as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 2. In this way the gate would be lifted shouldstock approach from either direction.

It is desirable also to make the supporting platform as light aspossible and it could be made of pipe or such material if desired.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings,the operation and advantages of my improved stock guard will be readilyunderstood and appreciated and it will be apparent that I have produceda device which fully accomplishes all the objects herein set forth.

I claim:

1. A cattle guard comprising journal brackets removably clamped to thefoot of the rails, a rock shaft journaled in such brackets, a loopedlever having its central portion pivoted beneath the rails and havingside arms extending parallel to the rails, flexible connections betweenthe ends of the lever and the rock shaft, a platform suspended from theside arms of the looped lever, a removable gate carried by the rockshaft, a weight connected at one end to a tie, and a spring detachablyconnecting the other end of the weight to the gate.

2. A stock guard comprising ournal brackets secured to the foot of therails, a

rock shaft journaled in said brackets, a

looped lever having its central portion pivoted beneath the rails andits side portions extending parallel to the rails, flexible connectionsbetween the ends of the lever and the rock shaft, a platform suspendedbetween the side arms of the lever, a removable gate carried by the rockshaft, a weight yieldingly connected to the gate, and connectionsanchoring the weight and allowing limited mo tion thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MAR-SHALL RICHARD WILHITE. Witnesses:

W. B. BALLARD, J. H. VAUGHAN.

